City of Winchester UK
Section Index Page City of Winchester UK

ECCLESIASTICAL WALK

50 images that take you on a tour of the ancient Ecclesiastical power base of the City Centre.
The other great Ecclesiastic foundation, Hyde Abbey, is the subject of another tour.
For full size images, click your start point thumbnail.

Start your walk here, at the Guildhall Tourist Information Office

Turn into Abbey Passage, at the side of the Guildhall.

View parts of this ancient Nunnery, founded by Queen Ealhswith in 903.

Turn left here into Abbey Gardens.

Follow the path and walk through the Portico on the front of the Mill.

1. Guildhall

2. Abbey Passage

3. Nunnaminster

4. Abbey Gardens

5. Abbey Mill

Abbey Mill, and the mill stream, were built to serve the needs of the Abbey (Nunnaminster

Colebrook Street is one of the original Anglo Saxon Streets of Winchester.

Turn into Scott Garden, which lies between Colebrook Street and Wolvesey Slips

Admire the view of the River Itchen from the top of the steps. Descend the steps and turn left.

Behind the steps , this is the only visible section of the city's Roman wall that remains.

6. Abbey Mill

7. Colebrook St.

8. Scott Garden

9. River view

10. Roman Wall

Follow the River Itchen downstream.

The back of the new St John's Almshouses (1929).

Narrow bridges cross the river to private gardens to your left. The walls of Wolvesey Castle to your right.

The residence of the Bishops of Winchester since the 10th Century, the Castle is now in ruins.

The Weir, which diverts some of the rivers flow, now lends it's name to the whole area. The original deeds to the land refer to 'slips' - small thin parcels of land.

11. Riverside Walk

12. St John's

13. Wolvesey Slips

14. Wolvesey walls.

15. The Weir

A view of Wharf Mill, a converted Mill and Warehouse at the end of the once navigable Itchen Navigation, now used as private flats

Follow the right hand path to the side of Wharf Mill as it skirts around Wolvesey Castle grounds.

Here several paths converge and exit into College Walk.

The junction of College Walk (To the left) and College Street (Ahead).

The surviving East wing of the baroque style house, built in 1684 by Bishop Morley, is still used today as the Home of the Bishop of Winchester.

16. Wharf Mill

17. Keep right

18. Exit

19. College Walk

20. Bishops House

The Chapel and buildings of Winchester College viewed from the gates of Wolvesey Castle.

Part of the River Itchen flows under College Street here.

Entrance to Winchester College.

Founded by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and one time Chancellor of England, to educate 70 scholars of 8 -12 years of age.

A peaceful green area with a fine close cropped lawn.

21. College

22. College St.

23. College

24. College

25. Garden

8 College Street is where Jane Austen spent the last six weeks of her life.

A view of College Street.

The less well known facade of Cheyney Court, which adjoin the walls to the Close.

'Cornflowers', on the corner of College Street and Kingsgate Street, is the College Gift Shop.

Kingsgate is one of only two surviving medieval gateways of Roman origin that survive in Winchester.

26. Jane Austen

27. College St.

28. Cheyney Court

29. 'Cornflowers'

30. Kingsgate

The church of St Swithun-upon-Kingsgate is one of the country's few remaining churches over city gates, and is still used for services.

The 16th Century Priory Gate, with it's nail studded doors and inset pedestrian gate, is surmounted by a tiny house, the Porters Lodge, once occupied by the Cathedral Organist.

The Pilgrims Hall is a flint rubble walled hall, open to the public, that has the oldest surviving hammer-beam roof in England, possibly dating from 1290.

Cheyney Court is late 16th Century, and the building in which the Bishop would hold his Court over the Soke.

Another view of Priory Gate, and the tiny Porters Lodge perched on top.

31. Kingsgate

32. Priory Gate

33. Pilgrims Hall

34. Cheyney Court

35. Priory Gate

The Deanery, with it's 13th Century vaulted porch, was largely rebuilt in the 17th Century after being damaged during the Civil War. The Hall to the left of it is 15th Century.

The far side of the 15th Century Hall that adjoins the Deanery, looking toward the Norman arches of the Chapter House.

No 9 'Church House' is a 17th Century 3 storey, 3 gabled stone building.

The Norman arches of The Chapter House are one of the few remaining traces of the original Monastic Buildings that were swept away after the Dissolution.

A view across The Close toward the Education Centre.

36. The Deanery

37. 15th Cent. Hall

38. Church House

39. Chapter House

40. The Close

Follow the line of the Flying Buttresses along the South side of the cathedral.

Exit from the Close at the West front. Here may be found the Visitor's Centre and the main entrance to the Cathedral.

The foundations of the current Cathedral were laid out in 1079 by Walkelin, the first Norman Bishop.

The site of the Old Minster is outlined in brick in the grass to the North side of the present cathedral.

Follow the path around the North side of the Cathedral, toward Morley College.